diff --git a/src/Appwrite/Realtime/Message/Handlers/AuthenticationHandler.php b/src/Appwrite/Realtime/Message/Handlers/AuthenticationHandler.php
index b6d8616f0b..b17c672d91 100644
--- a/src/Appwrite/Realtime/Message/Handlers/AuthenticationHandler.php
+++ b/src/Appwrite/Realtime/Message/Handlers/AuthenticationHandler.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class AuthenticationHandler extends Action
         $this
             ->desc('Authenticate the connection with a session token')
             ->label(Dispatcher::LABEL_MESSAGE_TYPE, 'authentication')
-            ->param('session', '', new Text(2048), 'Encoded session token')
+            ->param('session', '', new Text(2048), 'Encoded session token', optional: true)
             ->inject('connection')
             ->inject('realtime')
             ->inject('database')
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ class AuthenticationHandler extends Action
         Registry $register,
         Response $response,
     ): array {
+        if ($session === '') {
+            throw new Exception(Exception::REALTIME_MESSAGE_FORMAT_INVALID, 'Payload is not valid.');
+        }
+
         $store = new Store();
         $store->decode($session);
 
diff --git a/tests/e2e/Services/Presence/PresenceRealtimeClientTest.php b/tests/e2e/Services/Presence/PresenceRealtimeClientTest.php
index e03dba110d..26a28d9387 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/Services/Presence/PresenceRealtimeClientTest.php
+++ b/tests/e2e/Services/Presence/PresenceRealtimeClientTest.php
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ class PresenceRealtimeClientTest extends Scope
                 ],
             ]));
             $missingStatus = $this->receiveErrorMessage($client);
-            $this->assertStringContainsString('status must be provided', $missingStatus['data']['message'] ?? '');
+            $this->assertStringContainsString('status is required', $missingStatus['data']['message'] ?? '');
             $this->assertQuietFor(
                 $client,
                 fn (array $frame): bool => ($frame['type'] ?? null) === 'event'